Championship
#1 Monmouth 2, #3 Quinnipiac 1
West Long Branch, NJ -
Goals from #8 Monmouth’s Hermann Trophy Award Watch list members lifted the top-seeded Hawks to the 2009 Northeast Conference (NEC) Men’s Soccer Tournament title for the first time since 2006. MU improved to a program-best 18-1-1 overall mark with the 2-1 victory while Quinnipiac finished its season 9-4-7.
Junior Chase Barbieri (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) and classmate Ryan Kinne (Naugatuck, CT/Naugatuck) scored less than three minutes apart to give MU a 2-0 lead early in the second half. Quinnipiac cut the lead in half at the 60:37 mark by virtue of a tally from senior defender Shane Recklet (Shelton, CT/Shelton), but the Bobcats couldn’t find the equalizer as the Hawks went on to win their third-ever tournament crown.
Both squads had scoring opportunities early into play, the first of which came from MU when Ryan Clark (Freehold, NJ/Freehold Township) collected a pass in the center of the box, but the QU back line was there to break up the attack. Minutes later it was QU’s turn when Bobcat junior forward Nick Pelicaen (Scoten, Belgium) made a hard run down the left side to get past the Hawk defense. Junior goalkeeper Bryan Meredith (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) rushed off his line to smother the play, but Pelicaen was able to send a ball across the box, which made it’s way past the open net untouched.
With 11 minutes left in the first stanza, MU sophomore defender and Tournament Most Valuable Player RJ Allen (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) lofted a free kick service that found the head of Clark, who nodded it far post forcing Bobcat senior all-league netminder Frederick Hall (St. George, Bermuda) to lay out to make the save and keep the scoreboard clear. Minutes later another Hawk free kick opportunity found the foot of Barbieri, who chipped a one-touch shot on target, but Hall got a finger on it to tip the ball up and over the crossbar.
The Bobcats came out of the intermission applying pressure on the nationally-ranked Hawk defensive unit, but the first score of the game from Barbieri in the 51st minute took the wind out of their sails. Clark lofted a cross from the left side that was all Barbieri’s as he nodded his sixth tally of the season into the upper corner. With momentum on their side, the Hawks struck again in the 54th minute after they were awarded a free kick opportunity. In much the same fashion as the first score, Allen lifted a cross into the box where Kinne was waiting to send a header into the far upper corner. Kinne’s marker was the team-leading 10th of the season for the 2009 NEC Player of the Year, while Allen’s assist was his eighth to tie for first in the league.
QU responded at the 60:37 mark to cut its deficit to one when Recklet deposited a shot after a scrum in front of the net. Sophomore defender Conor Murphy (Wallingford, CT/Xavier) was credited with the assist.
With tensions mounting and time winding down, the Bobcats applied last minute pressure in search of the tying score. With 13 minutes remaining in regulation, junior all-NEC defender Pierre Soubrier (Aurginac, France) released a low laser that missed the net wide right. Soubrier was at it again with under 10 minutes to go when he took a free kick from just outside the box that he bent up and around the wall, but the strike landed on top of the netting.
Hall finished with four saves in the contest as Meredith made four stops of his own to record the victory.
The Blue and White continues its landmark season as MU prepares to compete in the 2009 NCAA Men's Soccer College Cup with first round action on November 19. The Hawks will find out their opponent on Monday, Nov. 16 between 5:30 and 6:00 on ESPNews.
2009 NEC All-Tournament Team
RJ Allen(Tournament MVP) MU So. D Old Bridge, NJ/St. Joseph’s
Cody Calafiore MU Fr. MF Howell, NJ/Howell
Daniel Bostock MU Sr. D Nottinghamshire, England
Ryan Kinne MU Jr. F Naugatuck, CT/Naugatuck
Frederick Hall QU Sr. GK St. George, Bermuda
Shane Recklet QU Sr. D Shelton, CT/Shelton
Pierre Soubrier QU Jr. D Aurignac, France
Semso Nikocevic SFNY Sr. MF Brooklyn, NY/Sheepshead Bay
John Sallhag SFNY Jr. F Vaxjo, Sweden
Paul King FDU So. MF New Castle, England
Majdi Zaineh FDU Jr. GK Clifton, NJ/Clifton
Semifinal #1
#1 Monmouth 2, #4 Fairleigh Dickinson 0
West Long Branch, NJ -- On a rain-soaked blustery day in the Garden State, two goals from freshman midfielder Cody Calafiore (Howell, NJ/Howell) halted #4 seed Fairleigh Dickinson’s five-game winning streak and propelled the top-seeded Monmouth Hawks to victory in the first semifinal contest of the 2009 Northeast Conference (NEC) Men’s Soccer Tournament. The Hawks, who improved to 17-1-1 overall and remain undefeated on the Great Lawn this season, advanced to the championship game which will take place on Sunday, Nov. 15 at noon against #3 seed Quinnipiac.
Just five minutes into play the reigning NEC tournament champion Knights almost took the early lead when freshman forward Tatenda Chimhanda (Harare, Zimbabwe) made a run down the middle. A Hawk defender getting a foot on the ball, but Chimhanda was on the lucky end of a deflection as the ball ended up back on his foot inside the 18-yard box. MU’s junior second team all-NEC goalkeeper Bryan Meredith (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) made the point-blank save to keep the scoreboard clear. About 20 minutes later the Knights had another scoring opportunity, but the header went over the crossbar.
With 14 minutes remaining in the opening stanza, junior forward Chase Barbieri (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) came off the bench and almost found the back of the net with a shot from 18-yards out that slipped just wide of the piping. Less than 60 seconds later, the 2009 NEC Player of the Year Ryan Kinne (Naugatuck, CT/Naugatuck) came streaking through the box to get a head on a cross, but FDU junior keeper Majdi Zaineh (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) made a diving stop to punch it out. Zaineh also grabbed the ensuing corner kick to keep the game scoreless.
After both squads entered the intermission in a scoreless deadlock, the nationally-ranked Hawks opened the second half with pressure in the attacking third. In the 49th minute, Kinne gained possession and touched it wide to sophomore midfielder George Caiella (Pittstown, NJ/Seton Hall Prep), who sent a cross into the box where Calafiore got a head on it to sneak it near post past Zaineh. The goal was Calafiore’s third of the season and second game winner.
Zaineh made a few spectacular saves to keep the Knights within reach as the Hawks continued to create scoring opportunities. With 23 minutes left to play, Caiella went on a break away with a chance to add insurance for MU, but Zaineh rushed off his line to stop him in his tracks. FDU had a chance at the equalizer when the 2009 NEC Rookie of the Year Dominic Reinold (Wesseling, Germany) took a free kick that skidded wide of the woodwork. Minutes later, Meredith preserved MU’s lead with a diving stop on another Reinold shot from eight-yards out.
In the 88th minute, Calafiore struck for the second time in the match when he corralled a clear down the right side from Caiella. The midfielder bolted past the FDU defense and slipped a low near-post shot past Zaineh, who came off his line to try to make the save. Zaineh finished with nine stops in the contest, while Meredith came away with three saves.
The Knights finished the year 9-9-1 overall while the Hawks continue their landmark season with a chance to sweep the postseason for the first time since 2006.
Semifinal #2
#3 Quinnipiac 1, #2 St. Francis (NY) 1 (2OT), QU advances, 4-3, on penalty kicks
West Long Branch, NJ -- For the second year in a row a NEC Men’s Soccer Tournament Semifinal contest was decided in a shootout. This time, third-seeded Quinnipiac ousted second-seeded St. Francis (NY) by winning the penalty kick battle, 4-3, after settling to 1-1 deadlock through 110 minutes of play. QU netminder and first team all-NEC selection, senior Frederick Hall (St. George, Bermuda) stopped a pair of Terrier PKs, while senior captain and all-league second team midfielder Shane Recklet (Shelton, CT/Shelton) delivered the game-winning strike.
The Bobcats seemingly struck first within the initial 10 minutes of action when SFNY goalkeeper Chris Antonino (Howard Beach, NY/Archbishop Molloy) was beat off his mark, but Terrier defender and all-NEC second teamer Javier Gonzalez (Caracas, Venezuela) cleared the ball off the goal line. In the 16the minute QU found the back of the net, but the score was waved off due to an offsides violation.
From there a momentum change occured and the Terriers had the better half of play in the Bobcats’ zone, resulting in the first goal of the game off the foot of three-time all-NEC forward, junior John Sallhag (Vaxjo, Sweden). The tally was the fourth this season for a wide open Sallhag, who chipped a one-touch shot from the center of the box past Hall. Sophomore midfielder Robbie Weir (Prestwick, Scotland) and senior all-Conference midfielder Semso Nikocevic (Brooklyn, NY/Sheepshead Bay) started the play from the right side. SFNY continued with the pressure when Weir fired a free kick attempt from just outside the box low and hard, but Hall was there to collect it with under 10 minutes remaining in the first stanza.
After the intermission, play went back-and-forth mostly around the midfield until the 66th minute when the Bobcats were able to find the equalizer. Sophomore forward Durval Pereira (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) notched his second marker of the season when he took a free kick from 40-yards out that sailed across the box and took a bounce past the Terrier defense and into the far netting. SFNY responded with about eight minutes left in regulation when a corner kick opportunity forced Hall to stretch out and make a one-armed save.
Next it was the Bobcats’ chance for the game winner with just over 30 seconds left to play when the SFNY back line misplayed a ball that took a bounce in slippery conditions, falling at the foot of QU junior forward Nick Pelicaen (Schoten, Belgium). Closing in on Antonino, Pelicaen’s shot sailed up and over an onrushing Antonino and over the crossbar.
Throughout both extra sessions each team had its chances, but neither could notch the golden goal. Hall finished with 14 saves while Antonino came away with three stops.
The Bobcats make their first-ever NEC championship game appearance on Sunday, Nov. 15 at noon on the Great Lawn as they take on the top-seeded Hawks.